High-temperature thermometer



HIGH

FIG. 4

FIG. 2

FIG. 5

3mm WILLIAM BYRON BROWN Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

sec. 266) 7 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to high temperature measurements and more particularly to thermometers insertible directly in a high temperature gas stream.

For high temperature determination, particularly in the case of gases, use heretofore has been made of optical and radiation pyrometers as well as pyrometers using thermocouples inserted directly in the gas stream. Each of these instruments is subject to serious difiiculties. In the case of the optical and radiation pyrometers errors readily develop due to variation in light and radiation intensities brought about by the thickness of the gas stream wall layer, by wall heat emissivity, by wall temperature and by chance flame formations. With thermocouple pyrometers, limitation is enforced by the melting temperatures of the component thermocouple metals.

An outstanding and primary object of the invention, is to provide a thermocouple which can be inserted in and be actuated directly by a highly heated gas stream without melting of the thermocouple metals. Another important object is to provide thermocouple pyrometer apparatus of the direct immersion type which may extend the usual temperature determination range from two to three times or more.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the pyrometer showing its application to a heated gas tube;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the pyrometer taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a graph illustrating the thermometer action;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the pyrometer plate section l3 coated with refraction corrosion resistant material; and

Fig. 6 is a detail showing a radiation shield applied to the device inside the gas tube.

Numeral II! in the various figures of the drawing indicates a tube for transfer of highly heated gases, such as may flow in a gas turbine. A

longitudinal slot II is formed in the wall of the tube into which a metal plate is inserted, so that there is an inner plate section 13 having a substantial entry into the tube space and an outer plate section Hi protruding outside the: tube for inclusion in the pyrometer supporting and cooling apparatus.

Outside the tube is a U-shaped duct IS including side arms I6 and H and cross arm [8 joining an end of each side arm. The duct side arms are intended for application on opposite edges of the external section [4 of plate 12 and the cross arm for application to the plate sides at the areas adjacent the tube slot H. For this application the cross arm I8 is broadened and divided into two parallel ducts and 2|, separated by a longitudinal rectangular opening 22 or sufiicient width to include the plate l2 and the thermocouple leads as shown in Fig. 2. In order to enclose the outer plate section i4 and thereby assist in the cooling action of the duct side arms [6 and I1, side plates 23 and 24, which may be integeral with the side arms 16 and I7, are provided. Also, in order to provide a cooling fluid flow through duct IS the duct ends are closed and inlet and outlet tubes, 25 and 26, respectively, inserted adjacent the duct ends. A branched T-coupling 21 is secured to the inlet tube with pipe connections 28 and 29, pipe 28 leading to a hot fluid source, as hot water, through a valve 30, and pipe 29 leading to a cold fluid source, as cold water, through a valve 3i. The entire duct cooling tube structure is secured to the tube H) by attachment of off-set tabs 32 in extension of duct cross arm it, to the wall of tube It) by means of screws 33. Suitable gas sealing gaskets 35 are interposed between the tabs and the tube l0.

Thermocouples and 4| are employed to give the temperatures T1, T2, inside tube Ill at displaced points on plate section I3. Thermocouple 40 is placed adjacent the tube wall to register temperature T2 closely approaching the temperature of the fluid in the cross duct l8. Thermocouple 4i registers temperature T1 and is placed adjacent the inner end of plate section l3 so as to be in the full current of the heated gases and be subject to the highest heat of gas flow. From thermocouple 40, leads 42 pass along the plate surface to the outer end thereof where connection is made to a meter 43. Similarly, from thermocouple 4|, leads 44 pass out of the tube N on the plate face and are connected to meter 45. While leads 42 and 44 are shown as lying on the plane surfaces of plate l2 it may be 3 desirable to groove the plate surface to permit closer fitting 0f the cooling duct, as shown in Fig. 5.

The operation of the pyrometer is based on the fact that for two displaced points 40 and 4! on a heat conducting base immersed in a heated gas, the temperature difference between these two points, if plotted against the value of one of them, as T1, for a series of different values for T2 controlled by the cooling duct, results in a straight line having the formula where To is the point of intersection of the projected straight line with the T1 abscissa. Thus, it becomes necessary only to determine the; slope of the T1-T2 straight line and Tg may at once be determined either graphically'or by calculation from the formula.

The above relationships are illustrated by the curve of Fig. 4. Wherein the ordinate is-in Til-*TZ values for different T2 temperatures, the abscissa is plotted in T1 scale, and-the straight line 50 is drawn through T1T2 values 5i and52" to intersect the T1 axis of g.

It is important to note that in actual use T1 at the thermocouple point All is always at a temperature greatly reduced from the actual gas temperature-due to the heat conductivity of metal support plate I2. Consequently, thethermocoupic at is able to measure temperatures from two to three or more times the value heretofore possible with thermocouples in direct ga immersion.

It is apparent that "the accuracy of the pyrometer may be increased by usin liquids having lower freezing and higher boiling points than water. Also, by use of-dual-instruments a direct reading pyrometer could be'constructed. Also,

automatic controls could readilybe applied. While uncoated metal is illustrated for the plate i5, it may be: desirable to coat this plate with refractory substance toreduce corrosion oroxidation as shown by ceramic coating 69- of Fig. 5. Also,

in some instances it maybe desirable to enclose the plate section IS with radiation shields'according to common procedure, as shown, for example, at E6 in Fig. 6 where a tubular metal shield encloses the bar section I3.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the lightof the above teachings. It is, therefore; tobe understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention maybe practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A pyrometer for heated gas temperature measurement in gas conduits comprising a heat conducting elongated bar, means forsupporting said bar radially on said conduit with a bar section extending into said conduit in the path of heated gas flow and ending in said path, a first thermocouple mounted on the section end of said bar section, a second thermocouple mounted on said bar at a point outwardly displaced from said inner bar end, means connected to said thermocouples for indicatin the temperature of each thermocouple, and means for cooling said bar at a point displaced from the inner end thereof.

2. The p rometer, as defined in claim 1, with said cooling means comprising a fluid conducting tube having a tube section in proximity to said bar adj acentsaid second thermocouple.

3. The pyrometer as defined in claim 2, said fluid conducting tube being provided with plural branches at one end thereof for supply of coolant of different temperatures thereto, and valve means for selecting one of said branches for fluid flow into said fiuid conducting tube.

4. A pyrometer for temperature measurement of heated gas inside a chamber comprising a heat conductin bar, support means for attaching said bar to the wall of said chamber with the bar extending inwardly into said chamber from the wall support means and ending in said chamher, a first thermocouple mounted on the bar where it ends in said chamber, a second thermocouple mounted on the bar outwardly from-said first thermocouple, means including a heat transfer device in heat conducting relation to said bar for maintaining said second thermocouple said protective means consisting of a;.cera-mic:

coating.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date.

2,006,469 Lucke July 2...,1935; 2,266,185 liillov Dec. 16,1941

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 599,946 Great Britain Mar. 24,1948 

